(50) days of annie
by Immoroita
Summary: i don't know. i love her, i guess. [finnick & annie]
1. first kiss

**Author's Note:** 50 ficlets of Finnick/Annie, using 50 prompts from Livejournal's 100-prompts. Can also be found on Archiveofourown (I am Bookie on there, but it is posted under my Immoroita pseudonym.) Also, the title is the same cheesy mess.

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** i don't know. i love her, i guess. [finnick & annie]

**Chapter Synopsis: **god, he loves that laugh of hers. it's kind of wonderful.

**Prompt:** First Kiss

* * *

"You know," she says thoughtfully, dangling her legs in the ocean and swirling them around idly. Ripples expand out across the surface of the ocean and go on into eternity. He looks over at her, curious as to what she's going to say.

(he's always curious about what she's going to say. she's annie cresta and he's finnick odair and okay, he's twelve, but he's pretty sure he knows what love is when he looks at her.)

"I've never kissed a boy before," Annie continues, tucking a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. Her soft emerald eyes are downcast as she ties endless knots in a short piece of rope. "My sister says it's nice, when you do it with someone you like."

(his sea-green eyes flick down to her lips, which make only the most minimal of movement whenever she talks. they look pretty kissable.)

"Really?" Finnick replies, attention completely focused on her face. She doesn't notice - as usual - and continues tying and untying knots in the rope, a slight breeze blowing her hair back from her face. "I would have thought you'd done once."

(he's glad that she never has. the thought of some other boy claiming her lips makes him sort of angry.)

Annie laughs softly.

(god, he loves that laugh of hers. it's kind of wonderful.)

She turns to look at him and words die in her throat at the intensity of his gaze. Finnick swallows quietly and meets her eyes - those beautiful emerald eyes that always manage to render him speechless. The sea breeze blows towards him and he takes in a deep breath.

(she smells of the ocean. damn, he wants to kiss her so bad.)

It's her who makes the first move. Lips brush against lips in a slight movement that lasts half a second, but Annie pulls back quickly and tilts her head inquisitively to the side, a shy giggle escaping her lips. A small smile creeps its way up onto Finnick's face.

(neither of them are blushing or are remotely surprised. it's been a long time coming, he thinks.)


	2. final

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the favorites and reviews uwu;

Lowercase for style.

**Rating: **T

**Summary:** i don't know. i love her, i guess. [finnick & annie]

**Chapter Synopsis:** there will always be a lot more goodbyes.

**Prompt:** Final

* * *

**h**e says goodbye to **h**er when he leaves for his games.  
"'bye, annie," he says to her, swallowing heavily.  
"'bye, finnick," she whispers, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.  
(she has to stand on her tiptoes; even though they're only two years apart, he's so much taller than she is.)  
"this isn't goodbye... forever, right?" annie breathes, clutching him as tightly as possible.  
"of course not," finnick says, pulling away with an encouraging smile that is far too forced. "there will be a lot more goodbyes, annie."  
"i don't want to ever say another goodbye," annie says in desperation. "never never never never never."  
"i know," her boy says, rolling his eyes, as the doors to the justice building open. "jeez, annie, i'm going to come back."  
he's uncertain and he's scared, she knows, but she still smiles tearfully as she's escorted out by the peacekeepers, even though her heart aches for him.  
if she doesn't believe in him, who else will?

**h**e says goodbye to **h**er when she leaves for her games.  
"'bye, annie," he says with a too-bright smile.  
"'bye, finn," she responds, tears running freely down her cheeks. she's aching to make some sort of physical contact with him.  
(but her stylist is standing right there. it would be awkward for them.)  
"i told you," finnick says, and his voice quavers slightly as the countdown begins, spoken by an automated woman's voice. "i told you that there are going to be a lot more goodbyes."  
"i'm not coming back, finn," annie says, and for the first time in these few weeks, she's certain of something. "i'm not."  
"you are," finnick says, and smiles at her with that golden smile of his. "you're coming back."  
"'bye," annie says, and steps into the elevator that will take her up into the arena. the glass door closes and she looks through it at her stylist and at her boy.  
she never even got to kiss him one last time before her death.

**h**e says goodbye to **h**er when he leaves for his second games.  
"'bye, annie," he whispers in the broken voice that she hates, and envelops her in his arms.  
all annie can do is shake her head desperately, clutching onto him for dear life.  
(he smells like sugar and she loves him so much.)  
"i'm going to come back to you," finnick reminds her. "remember? i said that ten years ago."  
"ten years ago, you said there would be a lot more goodbyes," annie mumbles into his chest. "you said."  
"i know," finnick says, and kisses the top of her head. "i know."  
he plants kisses all over her face, wherever he can reach her, and annie closes her eyes as tears stream down both of their faces.  
"come back," annie says, as she hears the door to the justice building open behind her.  
"i will," finnick replies.  
annie does not look back at him. she's afraid of what might happen if she does.

**h**e says goodbye to **h**er when he leaves for his special mission to the capitol.  
"'bye, annie," he says, and smiles at her. "i love you."  
"'bye, finn," she replies, feeling more at ease than she could ever have dreamt possible.  
(she knows he's not coming back. in a way, he knows, too.)  
he takes her face in his hands and kisses her. she wraps her arms around his torso.  
"i'll never forget you, finn," annie breathes.  
"annie," finnick says in mock irritation. "it's not like you'll never see me again."  
a tearful giggle escapes her lips.  
finnick puts a finger under her chin and tilts her head up to look at him. "i love you so much. you're my girl."  
"you're my brave, stupid boy," annie responds. "don't ever forget it."  
he puts her hand on his heart. "i won't. lots more goodbyes, remember?"  
she meets his eyes and searches them for a hint of doubt. "lots more goodbyes."  
he walks away from her and she does not cry.

**s**he says goodbye to **h**im when he leaves for somewhere else.  
"'bye, finn," annie murmurs, closing her eyes.  
she sits in a small rock pool near the sea of district four, where she and finnick used to find crabs and oysters.  
(it seems like a lifetime ago - and in a way, it was.)  
"you said there would be lots more goodbyes," she continues, speaking to nobody.  
"you promised you'd always come back.  
"but it's okay, because i know why you didn't. i guess we both knew.  
"it was your time, after all. you're free now."  
her hand rests on her stomach, which is growing bigger, and she smiles.  
"you would've been the best father, finn."  
for the first time, annie cresta is at peace.  
goodbyes don't bother her any more. there will always be lots more.


	3. numb

Annie Cresta has always been extraordinarily sensitive.

She refuses to let herself or anyone around her take the life of anything else - be it an ant, a beetle, or another small insect of some description. Her gentle, fleeting nature simply does not allow it.

The Games break her and crudely piece her together again.

* * *

_**{**__finnick, i'm broken_

_they broke me with their games_

_please, finnick, i need you to save me_

_i'll always need you to save me__**}**_

* * *

She causes an upset to the betting pools in the Capitol. Big gamblers lose a lot of money because they never thought that the little girl from District Four would win.

Her mother allegedly hangs herself the week after she is crowned Victor of the 70th Hunger Games, and everyone ignores the dent in her skull and the blood on the back of her head. Her father dies in a boating accident and is found washed up on shore, tangled in his own fishing net, a bullet put through his brain that nobody will ever mention. Her two-year-old sister is found lying peacefully in her cot, dead of pneumonia, and the sleeping pills in her little stomach are blatantly ignored.

Annie cries for three days straight, shaking uncontrollably as her hands clap over her ears and the world spins.

* * *

_**{**__please come for me, finnick_

_i'm so alone and i need you_

_please, finnick, i need you to save me_

_i'll always need you to save me__**}**_

* * *

He saves her, he does, and sweeps her up in his arms, kissing her bruises and lovingly stroking the scars that run up and down her arms. He whispers her name in her ear and stays by her side every moment of the day.

Sometimes he cries to himself, thinking she can't hear, and Annie holds his hands and they breathe slowly together, hearts beating to the same rhythm.

They never tell each other that they love each other, because they don't have to.

* * *

_**{**__finnick, i love you_

_i love you more than anything_

_please, finnick, i need you to save me_

_i'll always need you to save me__**}**_

* * *

He numbs her pain, he does.

He's her golden boy, the sunlight on the horizon, the reassurance that everything might be okay, in the end.

She cries less and he cries less and they fall asleep together, with her hand on his heart and their foreheads touching.

* * *

_**{**__the pain's always there_

_but it's easier now_

_you've saved me, finnick_

_you've always been the one to save me__**}**_


End file.
